FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It wasn’t a surprise to see Brad Knighton get the start as the New England Revolution’s goalkeeper in last week’s U.S. Open Cup meeting with the Carolina RailHawks. For years MLS clubs have relied upon their depth in the early rounds of that competition.
It was, however, a bit unexpected when Knighton maintained the starting job three days later when the Revs visited Vancouver Whitecaps FC, marking his first league appearance since last July.
Revolution head coach Jay Heaps explained the decision on Tuesday, saying that Knighton’s sharpness in training and his stellar five-save shutout against the RailHawks had earned the opportunity.